Next, I try Victoria.
‘Nora! Are you good? How is everything?’
‘I’m great,’ I reply, giving the fire a wee stoke. ‘It’s pretty full on but the accommodation is great. How’s the café?’
‘Same old,’ she informs me. ‘You’re not missing much. Tracey has been working her arse off, we should give her a few days’ holiday when you’re back.’
‘I love that girl,’ I reply. ‘Definitely. And how are you? How’s Benjamin?’
‘Never mind about him, how’s the man situation there? Are you bringing anyone back in your suitcase?’
‘No one is here forthat,’ I reply. ‘It’s more about being a better person than hooking up. One of the mentors is hot but he’s out-of-everyone’s-league hot.’
‘Hmm, not sure you’re supposed to shag the staff anyway,’ Victoria responds. ‘But hooray for eye candy! Listen, I have to run, we’re going to the theatre, but I’ll see you when you’re back! Love you!’
‘Love you too.’
I hang up and smile. I am loved, even if it’s not romantically. This kind of love lasts longer anyway.
When dinner arrives, I set it all out on the coffee table in front of me, so I can watch TV while I eat. I’m starting to feel like I’m on holiday. No interruptions, no rush to be anywhere; just me, a glass of white and a surprising amount of broccoli in my beef stir-fry. I might even have another hot tub later. If this is the way the rest of my evenings will play out, I’ll consider this a successful trip. I press play and settle down for the night.
I’m halfway through my third glass of wine and second episode ofTrue Detectivewhen the power goes out. I shoot upright in my seat like a meerkat. The entire cabin has been plunged into darkness, bar the eerie glow from the log burner which has instantly changed the atmosphere from holiday home toHammer House.
My heart is in my mouth as I scramble around for my phone to use as a torch and make my way to the patio doors, pulling back the heavy curtains. I nervously step outside. Not a single light from the cabins or the pathways. It’s a complete blackout.
I wave my phone around in the air, hoping to get one bar of signal to call the emergency out-of-hours number but it’s hopeless. I’m stuck here in the dark. Alone.
Of course, there would be a power cut,I think,because no serial killer worth their salt would ever disembowel in a well-lit area.
I look around to see if anyone else has come out of their cabin but it’s only me, just standing there like a big wine-drenched, broccoli-and-crisp-filled target. I retreat inside with theHalloweentheme tune playing softly in my head.
Stop panicking Nora.The staff won’t just leave you to stumble blindly in the dark until morning. Someone will come and tell you what’s happening.
It takes thirty-two minutes before I hear a knock at the front door. A hook-nosed man with a combover presents me with six tea lights and a huge, cooler-sized bottle of water.
‘Toilets are electric, love, you’ll need this,’ he says, placing it near the kitchen door. ‘There’s a problem with the cables on the main road – the whole area is out. Power company says it should be fixed by morning.’
‘Is this all I get?’ I ask, staring at the tiny candles. ‘These won’t last long. Nothing bigger back there… like a floodlight?’
He shakes his head. ‘All we have, love. Best just sleep through it. Happens a lot around here, you’ll be fine. If you need more firewood, we’ve left a stack near reception.’
He wanders back to his little truck to continue with his tea light delivery while I close the door and move back beside the fire, pacing aimlessly. It’s only 10.23pm. Maybe I could just watch the rest of my show on my phone? I let out a little whine when I realise that no power means no Wi-Fi. The underfloor heating cools rapidly beneath my feet. It’s like a dystopian nightmare and my current survival skills are limited to fire stoking and crisp opening. What if they make us fish in the loch? I’ve never—
A loud knock on my living room window jolts me back to reality. I cautiously draw back the curtain to see nothing outside, before Will’s face slowly appears at the window and I have a minor heart attack.
‘Will!’ I yelp, letting him in. ‘Are you allergic to front doors?’
‘Just thought I’d see if you were alright,’ he states, grinning. ‘Besides, I had to wait for you to invite me in. Vampire’s code and all that. Thought we might combine our little tealights and have a séance or something?’
‘Can you believe that’s all they’ve given us?’ I exclaim, pacing the floor. ‘I mean, even a pillar candle would be more useful. Or a torch. Or you know, a backup generator!’
‘Yeah, I had a feeling you might be freaking out,’ he muses. ‘Do you want me to stay over?’
‘What, here? With me?’
‘Well, some people don’t like sleeping in the dark,’ he replies. ‘It’s a thing.’
‘I’m perfectly capable of sleeping in the dark, I’ve been doing it for years. I don’t need anyone to babysit me.’
